Students will benefit more from greater discretion allowed to private schools
July 24, 2022CitizenWatch Philippines is one with the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations in urging the government to allow schools the discretion to conduct blended learning modes beyond the October 31 deadline set by DepED Order 34.
While a return to the pre-pandemic mode of instruction would be ideal to correct the learning losses observed among Filipino school children who suffered the negative effects of the disruption of their education, present conditions in Philippine schools remain inadequate to ensure this desired effect.
The number of fresh cases of COVID continues to rise. Facilities may not be adequate to ensure physical distancing among students and teachers. Public transportation may not be ready to accommodate the increased number of commuters. These and other transition issues make parents wary of allowing their children to go back to school as though the pandemic did not happen.
In the meantime, some private schools have been able to successfully use blended learning for their students. Many things can be learned from the experiences of the schools in using diverse strategies in delivering online and offline education to their students.
CitizenWatch believes our learners would benefit most if discretion in implementing face-to-face classes this year were given to school administrators. We share COCOPEA’s hope that the government would be open to constructive consultations on this matter.